Singing For The Milkman

We've been sleeping with the windows open the past several nights. It's so good to enjoy the cool fresh air in a house that's been closed up and stuffy all winter.

Each morning about 4:00 a.m. a symphony of birds sings outside our window. I don't know if they come over just for our enjoyment or if they visit your neighborhood too, but they are wonderful! They perform for a good solid half hour each morning and I listen and enjoy. And I wonder, who else hears them? In fact, I wonder, "Why do birds sing at four in the morning? Who do they think is listening?"

Frank, the milkman, lived just up the street from our house when I was a kid. Every morning, Frank would deliver fresh milk, butter and cream right to the milkbox on your front porch. When I was a teenager, I worked for Frank. I don't know when his day started, but he would stop by my house at 4:00 a.m. and we would start our route. We were the only ones up at that time of day, Frank and I. But every morning along about that time the birds would begin to tune their voices and practice their harmonies. I am not by nature a morning person, but those are some of my favorite memories from my childhood. Frank and I bouncing down the street in the Meadow Gold truck listening to the birds sing.

Who did they sing for? Does God really call the birds to wake and sing just for one milkman? Maybe. Isn't that a grand thought. . . .that there are some things in this world God does just for your pleasure! Simply because He delights to see you smile.

Oh, what a good God we have! I know it's still a little chilly for some, but i dare you to open your window tonight - just a crack - and listen for the music.

Off Camera

I was bitten by the show biz bug. It was my first appearance on television and it was a brush with greatness. Fate was smiling on me. I was standing next to the famous superhero, Captain 11. The instant fame and applause that comes from an appearance on primetime tv can really go to your head. I just hoped all of my friends were watching.

Never mind that I was only 7 years old. This was it. I was in a crowd of eager, smiling faces on stage with Captain 11 in Sioux Falls, SD. What? Never heard of Captain Eleven? See if you don’t recognize this introduction:

"One man in each century is given the power to control time. The man chosen to receive this power is carefully selected. He must be kind. He must be fair. He must be brave. You have fulfilled these requirements; and, we of the Outer Galaxies designate to you the wisdom of Solomon and the strength of Atlas. YOU are CAPTAIN 11!"

Still don’t remember? Well, I promise you, in the mid 60’s, he was a rockstar to every kid on the playground at Washington Elementary in Huron, SD. (It never occurred to us that he bore an uncanny resemblance to the weatherman who came on at 6). With his headphones and blue and gold suit, he was as close to a real live super hero as we would ever get. And because I had the coolest parents in the world, they had picked me up from school early and drove nearly 100 miles so I could celebrate my birthday on stage with Captain Eleven. It was an unforgettable day.

That was also my first glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes to make a first class variety show, complete with games, prizes and Popeye cartoons.

Captain Eleven, superhero that he was, required lots of help. I remember there being a dozen stagehands who worked around the set making sure the props were all in place, running cameras and lights, and providing crowd control for 30 energetic kids, all of whom needed to go to the bathroom just before the lights went up!

As I think about that day, I think about the men Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 16:17

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived…..
For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

Who were these men? What exactly did they do? No one really knows. In fact, they’re never heard from again. But whatever they did, it was significant and noted and appreciated by Paul.

I have plenty of people like that in my life who seldom get the praise they deserve. I resolve to do better.

Why? Because such men (and women) deserve recognition.

Instant Faith

Instant Starbucks. Are you kidding me?

That’s the plan. Later this year, Starbucks will market their world famous coffee right next to Folgers. CEO Howard Schultz said the gourmet coffee giant wants to change the way people think about instant coffee. “We have the technology to replicate the taste of Starbucks coffee in an instant form for a society on the go.” That’s the official spin. Reliable talk around the watercooler says that instant coffee is a $17 billion global market and Starbucks could use the, uh-h-h.…bucks right now.

Didn’t Starbucks start out as a place where you could meet your friends after a hard day? A place where you could relax for a few minutes and just catch up on life. In fact, truth be told, atmosphere had as much to do with their success as did what was in the cup.

Then there was drive-thru. Now, instant.

I wish them well, but I think they’re missing the point.

People are hungry for community. They are starving for a place, “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” (I know, different product entirely, but work with me. . .)

“Belonging” comes from an old English word meaning: a close and secure relationship. Relationships of belonging are personal. They are about you, me, and the stuff that ties us together.

The Lord’s church has deep roots in belonging - trust, comfort, genuineness, safety, acceptance, and sharing resources. We are hungry to belong, because we are meant to live in community, and building that depth of community takes time. Not just time together in worship, but in fellowship, in sharing, in growing, in working side by side - trying and failing together and picking each other up.

When Jesus called his disciples, He didn’t say, “Listen to Me! Give me 30 minutes of your time and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about God.” His invitation was, “Follow Me.” Jay’s interpretation: Let’s spend time together. Walk with Me. Share with Me. Laugh with Me. Learn from Me. Trust Me. Watch how God and I move together. It took Him 3 1/2 years doing it His way.

The really good things in life take time.

Through the years, I’ve known some people of faith who turned out to be of the “instant” variety. Instant is impressive. Instant is easy. Instant makes headlines and heads turn. And then I’ve known people whose faith and experience are slow-brewed, rich and deep.

I’ll have a cup of what they’re having. I can wait.

Smile to the Lord a New Smile!

I bet you've heard the old saying, "Smile and the world smiles with you, frown and you frown alone."

No? Hm.m.m... well, it goes something like that!

For years, we've been told that laughter is the best medicine. It's true that medically speaking, when you smile or laugh, the brain produces chemicals inside your body that relieve physical and emotional stress, and create a sense of well-being. Your body is an amazing factory of the most wonderful drugs. And you have the key!

But on a more personal level, we just love being around people who smile. Try it right now. Smile at someone and watch their eyes. They will automatically move to your mouth, even if just for an instant, and you will see their eyes brighten and their face muscles relax as they mirror your expression.

Have you ever noticed how incredibly easy it is for children to laugh? It just naturally comes from the depths of their being. Kids have hair triggers when it comes to smiling and laughing. We adults were like that once. Yes, we were! We smiled and laughed so easily and felt joy and it came out on our faces. So, what happened? Where did that spontaneous joy and laughter go?

If you've been a little down in the mouth lately, take just half a minute to read Psalm 98. See if it doesn't put a bit of spring back in your step and a little joy in your heart. And then. . . .

"Smile a new smile unto the Lord!"

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

² The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³ He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy; ⁹ let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

I Just Can't Do It!!!

I love Easter. Not the part about the bunny or the colored eggs. That was kind of fun when the kids were little, but mostly it's just another good excuse to market useless products you would never otherwise buy. (ie. Straw baskets, fake grass, plastic eggs, and Peeps, to name a few).

No, the part I love is the part where we talk about new life. The resurrection of Christ. Stories of hope. Optimism. Celebration. In unstable times like these, the words of the old Anne Murray song are amazingly relevant, "We sure could use a little good news today."

And that is the mind-boggling message of Easter. For God to sacrifice his Son in my place is astonishingly good news. But to raise him from the grave is breathtaking! What kind of love. . .what kind of power does this?

I also like the concept of the Lenten Season. The spiritual value of giving something away - of making a sacrifice for your faith - goes back a very long way. All the way back to the story of Cain & Abel as a matter of fact. And I have tremendous respect for folks today who take this idea seriously. Not the flippant, "Well, I'm giving up (insert lame food item here______) for Lent", but the folks who do some serious soul searching about the areas in their life that may have gotten out of control.

But what is most instructive to me about the Lenten Season are the glimpses of our human nature before and after Lent.

It is no coincidence that Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent is immediately preceded by "Fat Tuesday", a day of indulgence and gluttony. And it's no surprise that many who have given something up for Lent have no intention of making this a permanent sacrifice. It's more like going on a spiritual diet. Once the diet is over, we welcome back the old habits and quickly pack on the spiritual flab.

Am I saying this to shame us for not being more disciplined? Hardly. Again I deeply respect folks who make sacrifices based on their faith. I'm simply saying that this is a compelling illustration of the eternal truth: We. . . . .I need a Savior if I am to have any hope of standing right before God. I am not strong enough to do it on my own. I don't have the willpower to resist, the strength to clean it up, nor the stamina to see it through. I can't do it!!

I need to know there's hope. I need to know there's a Way.

There's a little community church in my hometown. On the wall above the pews in the sanctuary is this potent reminder from the Old Testament book of Zechariah:

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit”, says the Lord.

I will keep trying to clean up my mess, and I will keep trying to do better. God help me, I will keep trying. And I will keep failing. But the good news of Easter is not about what I can or can't do.

It's about what He's already done.

Miracle of Miracles

I've been reading and re-reading the story of the passion week - the final week in the life of Jesus. It is during this week that Jesus teaches some of his most powerful lessons.

Purpose in life. Purpose in death.
Loving God - Loving others.
Living a fruitful life in the face of adversity.
Preparation for the future.
Faithfulness. Watchfulness. Prayer.

They're all there in the final week of Jesus. But one phase of his ministry is curiously missing. Where are the miracles? The healings? The walking on water? The blind beggars? The loaves & fish? Wherever He went, Jesus was surrounded by these. Every day he performed miracles. And He always welcomed the people with gentleness, compassion, warmth. He would give Himself to the point of exhaustion. But now, in this week, the lens of heaven's divine camera is pointed in a new direction. Away from the crowds. This is no time for everyday miracles. These are close-ups of the Savior. . .intense and passionate.

Riding into Jerusalem like a king (the crowds are fickle, but today is smiles and cheers and laughter.)
Cleansing the temple (do you see the fire in His eyes?)
Weeping over Jerusalem (He had hoped for better things.)
Kneeling to wash the feet of Judas Iscariot (He did not come to be served, but to serve.)
Praying in the garden (Father, the time has come...glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you.)
Humiliated in silence (like a sheep who is dumb before his shearer. . .)
Beaten. Mocked. Spit on. Crucified.

For this week the crowds are blurred into the background and Jesus comes crisply into focus. This week is not about broken people or human suffering or hopeless beggars or giving sight or healing disease. This is not a time for everyday miracles.

It's time for THE miracle. The miracle of miracles.

The cross.

The Happiest Place On Earth

Welcome to the happiest place on earth! It's official. And it's about time.

Yesterday, Nebraska was proclaimed the happiest state in America by the prestigious mainstreet.com. It was a hard fought battle for runner-up between the up and coming Kansas, birthplace of Walter Chrysler, Amelia Earhart, Dorothy and Toto - and perennial happiness powerhouse Iowa, home of Pufferbilly Days.

Maybe Nebraska's "Good Life" will finally get the recognition it's due. Of course, all of this is based solely on financial measurements using The Happiness Index, which looks at household income, debt, employment and foreclosures.

But don't get too comfortable with your happiness award, Main Street warns. Misery and woe lurk right around the corner. They fear that Nebraska's happiness ranking is overinflated by government subsidies of corn production, which the new administration threatens to cut.

Well, that would surely wipe the smile off our faces.

Unless they take into account a few other, less tangible measurements of happiness.

Air so clean you could breathe it

Water so clean you could drink it

Mountains so flat even an amateur could climb them
Gorgeous beaches that rival anything either coast has to offer
Families where kids learn the value and necessity of hard work and honesty and personal responsibility
Communities who still do their "social networking" at the grocery store or barber shop

Nice try, mainstreet.com, but you're not telling us anything we don't already know. After all, Nebraska is the birthplace of Kool-Aid. Now there's something to smile about.

Out of the Ashes

When we smelled smoke South of I-80 on the afternoon of March 23rd, we knew we had trouble. 50-60 mph winds had blown in earlier in the day and now the flames "spread like wildfire" across the prairie. In a matter of minutes, flames had jumped across the Platte River and were scorching everything in their path, including 8 cabins, hundreds of trees and acres of grass at Nebraska Youth Camp near Kearney, NE.

NYC is a church owned campsite along the north bank of the Platte River and home to over a dozen camp sessions and spiritual retreats each summer. Over the past several decades, 1000's of kids and adults have sat around the campfire at this place to sing and worship and re-light a spirit of passion for God in their hearts. Now hundreds of people who have been blessed by NYC are returning to help clean up the mess, rebuild and reopen in time for the 2009 season.

There is a ton of work to do. 2 cabins were lost completely and a half dozen more will need repairs. Damaged trees will be cleared. Some will be cut up and salvaged for firewood and wood chips to rebuild pathways. Hundreds of trees will be replanted.

But the power of God to bring something new and wonderful out of the ashes is truly amazing. The grass and wildflowers will regrow and be greener than ever. New cabins will be built and old cabins will have a fresh new look as repairs are made. Hundreds of volunteers will be united in the work. And hundreds more who have taken this amazing ministry for granted will have a renewed interest in making sure NYC is alive and well to bless future generations.